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State bill would require high school arts course

West Henderson High art teacher Kelly King stands in her classroom last week. All high school students would be required to take an arts education course to graduate beginning in 2016 if the Arts Education as a Graduation Requirement bill wins approval in the state's General Assembly.

Patrick Sullivan/Times-News

By Leigh KelleyTimes-News Staff Writer

Published: Sunday, March 3, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 1, 2013 at 7:41 p.m.

Every day at high schools across Henderson County, students are learning about music, art and drama in elective classes. All students may be required to take an arts course beginning in 2016, however, if the Arts Education as a Graduation Requirement bill wins approval in the state's General Assembly.

Introduced by Sen. Peter Brunstetter (R-Forsyth) last month, the bill directs the state Board of Education to implement a requirement that all students entering the ninth grade beginning in 2016 take one credit in arts education in order to graduate.

Brunstetter's daughter was involved with her high school's drama department and liked it so much that she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in theater and fine arts. She went on to become a professional playwright and writes for a network television show called “Switched at Birth,” which airs on the ABC Family channel, Brunstetter said.

“She makes a terrific living with it, and it's interesting work,” the legislator said.

The reasoning behind the bill is not just personal, he added.

“First of all, arts are part of the great rich history and tradition of North Carolina,” he said. “I think that studies show that arts training helps develop some unique critical thinking skills that are not necessarily picked up in some of the other disciplines.”

Sitting outside with friends during a lunch period at Hendersonville High Wednesday, Sebastian Rodriguez said he would be in favor of the requirement even though it wouldn't affect him since he is a senior.

“Art is an important thing to me and I think it should be important to everyone,” he said, adding that his artistic outlet of choice is music. He is a member of the school's orchestra and concert band.

His classmate, Catherine McCrary, is so busy with the health sciences classes she is required to take for her future career track that she doesn't have time to take any arts education courses, she said.

“But if I could, I would definitely like to take one,” she added. “I think it makes you more well-rounded.”

West Henderson High art teacher Kelly King agreed.

“Everybody should have a little art in their lives,” she laughed. “I would love to see it happen. It does make them (students) more well-rounded, and it would help them appreciate the world through someone else's eyes.”

Several of the county's high school principals, including Hendersonville High's Bobby Wilkins and East Henderson High's Matthew Gruebmeyer, said they like the idea behind the bill. However, the issue of funding for additional teachers and finding places to put them in buildings that are already full to capacity must be considered, the administrators said.

And not every student wants or feels the need to take such classes.

“Any of these (arts) subjects has the potential of lighting a fire under a kid, of becoming a catalyst in a kid's life, and we have seen that here at East High, so I think it is a tremendous idea,” Gruebmeyer said. “But sometimes kids have their minds made up about what they want to do and putting them in a class because it's mandatory could be distracting for them, so you have both sides.”

High school students in the Henderson County Public Schools system aren't required to take an arts education class, although most of them do, said Kathy Revis, director of curriculum and instruction for the district. Of the students in the 2013 graduating class, 77 percent of the have at least one arts education class under their belt.

Using the current senior class percentage as a predictor for future staffing needs, Revis said the district would most likely need at least two additional arts education teachers for the additional 23 percent of students to take only one arts course.

Those teachers would probably be shared between schools, she added.

Some arts programs would be affected less than others if students decided to take them for the first time in high school.

In the case of band programs, incoming freshmen at the county's high schools typically began playing in the sixth grade.

At Hendersonville High, for instance, students who want to take band for the first time would be placed into a beginner's class, said Fran Shelton, the school's band director.

“Would that affect my other two classes? No, it would not,” she said.

Like Wilkins and Gruebmeyer, Revis said the question of who would shoulder the costs of additional teachers must be answered.

“When these things happen, they (state legislators) tend to not give us the funds to do it,” she said. “If the state makes those mandates, they ought to fund them. At some point, that becomes an extra burden to meet that requirement.”

Brunstetter said Wednesday there will be a fiscal analysis of the bill to determine what impact it would have on the overall state budget, adding that he would like the state to fund such a mandate, if possible.

While the bill has been passed by the state Senate several times before, it never won approval in the House, he said.

Brunstetter is hoping that 2013 will be different, but admitted there is opposition.

“I think there is some support, but it runs into a strong philosophy and belief for local control — some people have a problem with a statewide mandate,” he said. “I don't know if it will get a hearing this time, but I want to keep the issue on the table.”

<p>Every day at high schools across Henderson County, students are learning about music, art and drama in elective classes. All students may be required to take an arts course beginning in 2016, however, if the Arts Education as a Graduation Requirement bill wins approval in the state's General Assembly.</p><p>Introduced by Sen. Peter Brunstetter (R-Forsyth) last month, the bill directs the state Board of Education to implement a requirement that all students entering the ninth grade beginning in 2016 take one credit in arts education in order to graduate. </p><p>“Arts Education” is defined as music, visual arts, drama, chorus and dance, he said.</p><p>Brunstetter's daughter was involved with her high school's drama department and liked it so much that she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in theater and fine arts. She went on to become a professional playwright and writes for a network television show called “Switched at Birth,” which airs on the ABC Family channel, Brunstetter said.</p><p>“She makes a terrific living with it, and it's interesting work,” the legislator said.</p><p>The reasoning behind the bill is not just personal, he added. </p><p>“First of all, arts are part of the great rich history and tradition of North Carolina,” he said. “I think that studies show that arts training helps develop some unique critical thinking skills that are not necessarily picked up in some of the other disciplines.”</p><p>Sitting outside with friends during a lunch period at Hendersonville High Wednesday, Sebastian Rodriguez said he would be in favor of the requirement even though it wouldn't affect him since he is a senior.</p><p>“Art is an important thing to me and I think it should be important to everyone,” he said, adding that his artistic outlet of choice is music. He is a member of the school's orchestra and concert band.</p><p>His classmate, Catherine McCrary, is so busy with the health sciences classes she is required to take for her future career track that she doesn't have time to take any arts education courses, she said.</p><p>“But if I could, I would definitely like to take one,” she added. “I think it makes you more well-rounded.”</p><p>West Henderson High art teacher Kelly King agreed.</p><p>“Everybody should have a little art in their lives,” she laughed. “I would love to see it happen. It does make them (students) more well-rounded, and it would help them appreciate the world through someone else's eyes.”</p><p>Several of the county's high school principals, including Hendersonville High's Bobby Wilkins and East Henderson High's Matthew Gruebmeyer, said they like the idea behind the bill. However, the issue of funding for additional teachers and finding places to put them in buildings that are already full to capacity must be considered, the administrators said.</p><p>And not every student wants or feels the need to take such classes. </p><p>“Any of these (arts) subjects has the potential of lighting a fire under a kid, of becoming a catalyst in a kid's life, and we have seen that here at East High, so I think it is a tremendous idea,” Gruebmeyer said. “But sometimes kids have their minds made up about what they want to do and putting them in a class because it's mandatory could be distracting for them, so you have both sides.”</p><p>High school students in the Henderson County Public Schools system aren't required to take an arts education class, although most of them do, said Kathy Revis, director of curriculum and instruction for the district. Of the students in the 2013 graduating class, 77 percent of the have at least one arts education class under their belt. </p><p>Using the current senior class percentage as a predictor for future staffing needs, Revis said the district would most likely need at least two additional arts education teachers for the additional 23 percent of students to take only one arts course. </p><p>Those teachers would probably be shared between schools, she added.</p><p>Some arts programs would be affected less than others if students decided to take them for the first time in high school.</p><p>In the case of band programs, incoming freshmen at the county's high schools typically began playing in the sixth grade. </p><p>At Hendersonville High, for instance, students who want to take band for the first time would be placed into a beginner's class, said Fran Shelton, the school's band director.</p><p>“Would that affect my other two classes? No, it would not,” she said.</p><p>Like Wilkins and Gruebmeyer, Revis said the question of who would shoulder the costs of additional teachers must be answered. </p><p>“When these things happen, they (state legislators) tend to not give us the funds to do it,” she said. “If the state makes those mandates, they ought to fund them. At some point, that becomes an extra burden to meet that requirement.” </p><p>Brunstetter said Wednesday there will be a fiscal analysis of the bill to determine what impact it would have on the overall state budget, adding that he would like the state to fund such a mandate, if possible.</p><p>While the bill has been passed by the state Senate several times before, it never won approval in the House, he said. </p><p>Brunstetter is hoping that 2013 will be different, but admitted there is opposition.</p><p>“I think there is some support, but it runs into a strong philosophy and belief for local control — some people have a problem with a statewide mandate,” he said. “I don't know if it will get a hearing this time, but I want to keep the issue on the table.” </p><p>Reach Kelley at 828-694-7871 or leigh.kelley@blueridgenow.com.</p>